The Midwest Trans Youth Conference is a weekend conference dedicated to transgender, gender nonconforming, questioning and SOFFA youth ages 24 and under.

Entertainment

Not only will you meet and get to know youth from throughout the Midwest, but with a host of nationally-recognized speakers and performers, you’re sure be entertained and inspired.

Friday night our featured performers are Good Asian Drivers.

After a 3 month long tour across the country and back, the Good Asian Drivers have proved that Asians are in fact good, if not amazing drivers.

Good Asian Drivers aim to increase queer Asian-American visibility in the United States , confront stereotypes, and serve as a positive role model. This social mission, along with an undeniably entertaining performance and a reputation for being personable and approachable, makes the Good Asian Drivers a duo that must be placed on everyone's radar.

Kit is a transgendered boi, who has been slamming in the Boston scene since he was 18 and has won numerous slams and toured all over the country. Kit has featured with nationally recognized poets like Jason Carney, Iyeoka Okoawo, Reggie Gibson and Michael Brown. Before the age of 21, he landed a spot in the Lizard Lounge national slam team, competed in the Individual World Poetry Slam, and won the world’s largest slam. Kit's words speak as if having a heart-to-heart with you, taking you to his home in Hawaii , to the streets of pride parades, and through his transition as an Asian American female to a male Transgender artist. Kit's pieces will bring you to tears as he navigates topics such as racism, sexism, and transphobia even within minority communities. Kit also uses comedy to speak to audiences providing a complete picture filled with positive and comedic stories about being queer, transgendered, and Asian.

A Boston native, Melissa Li is a fierce lesbian singer-songwriter, who in the last 8 years has carved a name for herself as one of the most talented Asian-American performers in Boston . Her music is a mixture of folk, soul, pop, with a distinct rock edge. Through deeply personal songs and a powerful voice unlike any other, Melissa sings about love, loss, and social injustices. In addition to music, her talent shines as a filmmaker and award-winning musical theater composer. Melissa's work empowers and reflects experiences of being an Asian-American queer woman in the United States , and never backs down from directly confronting issues that minorities face daily.

Together, Li and Yan debuted their combined talents as The Good Asian Drivers in 2008 when they embarked on a 12-week cross country road tour, driving through over 30 states and 20 major cities. They met hundreds of new fans all over the country united by sharpness and spirit of Yan and Li's words and music, often addressing queer/trans issues and Asian-American struggles.

For more information, please visit their website: www.goodasiandrivers.com

Saturday night our featured performers will be The Miltown Kings.

The Miltown Kings are Milwaukee 's premiere drag-oriented theatre troupe. This gang of gender benders consists of Kings, Queens , Femmes and everything in between. A Miltown Kings show can be (and usually is) a million different things. It is a completely unique form of performance art. The Kings perform both individually as well as in group acts, and the acts range from sexy to funny to thought provoking. Audience members are witness to political statements, gender fluidity and challenges to societal norms. Occasionally a fan will find a King on their lap. When the Kings perform they give physical form to the music. Being on the stage allows the performers to explore any person they ever wanted to be. Each King has a distinct persona; there’s the hopeless romantic, the goof ball, the dirty old man...the possibilities are endless. It's no wonder The Miltown Kings are the hidden jewel of the Midwest .

For more information about The Miltown Kings check out: www.myspace.com/miltownkings

Sunday our Key Note speaker is Andy Marra .

Andy Marra is the National News Media Strategist for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Marra is responsible for securing fair and accurate LGBT media coverage on issues relating to gender identity and the Asian Pacific Islander community. She provides communications strategy and technical assistance for LGBT organizations and leaders throughout the U.S. and overseas including China , Korea and Japan .

Commentary by Marra and her media placements have been found in top media outlets including The Associated Press, The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, The Korea Times, AsianWeek, KoreAm Journal, Ta Kung Pao, Sing Tao Daily, MTV, MSNBC, ABC and NPR.

Marra is one of the youngest leaders for any national LGBT organization in the U.S. She currently serves on the Human Rights Campaign Diversity & Inclusion Council, the Helen Zia Fellowship Program Advisory Board and New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy Board. Marra is the former Board Chair for the National Center for Transgender Equality. She has also served on advisory councils for GLSEN, The Funding Exchange and the New York State Dignity for All Students Coalition.

She is a past recipient of the GLSEN Pathfinder Award, NGLTF Creating Change Award, the Colin Higgins Foundation Courage Award, and was featured by The Advocate as a young leader to know in the LGBT movement.